Monday, August 14, 2006

An African-Centred Success Story

An elementary school in Kansas City, Mo is using an African-centred approach to learning to support its students to achieve success.

Says Kevin Bullard, coordinator of African-centered education at several schools in the district. "With the African-centered model, we ... look at [slavery] as part of the context of our history and our struggle, but only a small piece." Their timeline includes the intellectual legacy of ancient African civilizations.

I agree with him to some extent: if we concentrate only on the history of enslavement, this may hold us back. It depends how it is taught, however. I was always taught the history of resistance alongside the history of enslavement, so I found my history very uplifting and inspiring, and I still do. My ancestors were survivors, heroes and sheroes, and I take inspiration from their example.

Of course, it is true that enslavement only forms a tiny part of our history as African people. But it is still having a devastating psychological, emotional and financial impact on us. In order to understand why we are in our current position in Western society, and why Africa is in its current state, we must understand the history of our enslavement.

Still, I agree that we also need to focus on building our future, starting from now.

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About Me

These blogs promote the healing of the planet and focus on the healing and upliftment of African people and, everything that contributes to this - books, films, Black history, Black health, Black business and more.
Zhana is a modern griot, writer, publisher and Transformational Growth Consultant. Author of Black Success Stories and Success Strategies for Black People, as well as The Key to Everything and What They Don't Want Us to Know. Editor of the More Black Success ebooks.
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